


The Date

by Rakshi



Category: Lord of the Rings RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-24
Updated: 2011-12-04
Packaged: 2017-10-26 12:15:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/283011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rakshi/pseuds/Rakshi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sean's going on a date, and Elijah doesn't like it one bit.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Sean pulled in the driveway and turned the car off. He sighed heavily and, just for a moment, leaned his head against the steering wheel. _Jesus,_ he thought, _I'd give anything if I didn't have to do what I know I have to do. ___

He got out of the car and walked toward the house. As he turned his key in the lock and stepped onto the landing he was half-hoping Elijah wasn’t home yet. But, he was.

“Sean!” Grinning from ear to ear, Elijah leaped from the living room floor where he’d been sprawled reading a script and ran towards the door. He took the two steps to their landing in one gigantic hop and with a second hop leaped into Sean's arms.

“Hi, wanker!” Sean murmured into his ear. “What ‘cha up to?” He locked his arms behind Elijah’s back, lifted him up, and carried him back down the two steps. Elijah clung to him, laughing and messing up his hair, and Sean bounced him teasingly a couple times before dropping his feet to the floor.

“Get off me!” Sean growled, playfully grasping Elijah's wrists and shoving him backwards. Elijah laughed and Sean pulled him back into his arms for a long, slow kiss. The kiss took Sean's breath away and his eyes slowly closed as he felt Elijah’s lips open under his. He felt their shape, their softness, the fullness of his lower lip, all the things that Sean adored. All things that filled him with hunger.

His arms were tight around Elijah's back and for a moment he pulled him even closer, burying his face against Elijah's neck, kissing his throat, inhaling his scent. Then he sighed deeply and released him.

Elijah reverse-stroked the hair on the back of Sean's head and looked into his eyes. “What’s up?” he asked in a low voice, his hands dropping to rest on Sean’s shoulders.

Sean looked at him and smiled. "Nothing really. Why do you ask?"

Elijah smiled back, but took his hands off Sean's shoulders and walked two steps backward to lean against their couch. He stood there silently for a moment, his eyes skating over Sean with a skeptical expression.

Suddenly Sean couldn't seem to think of anything to do with his hands. They felt huge and awkward. He ran them through his hair, stuffed them in his pockets and pulled them out. Aware that he looked ridiculous, he glanced sideways at Elijah who was still staring at him. "Thirsty," he murmured.

Scowling at his own awkwardness, he wheeled and walked toward the kitchen. Elijah's radar had zoned in on the fact that something was up, that much was already clear. And Sean knew that his fidgety behavior hadn't helped.

He walked to the fridge and yanked out a bottle of water. Stalling for time, he made a show out of casually opening it and taking a drink before turning to face Elijah, who had followed him into the kitchen. "Want one?" Sean asked him, holding up the water bottle and smiling, in what he hoped was a nonchalant manner.

"I'll pass," Elijah said quietly. "Now. Do you want to tell me what's going on? Or do you want to do some more of the 'Sean Astin's got ants in his pants' dance?"

Sean laughed and Elijah grinned. "Where'd THAT come from?" Sean asked him, jumping up onto one of the stools at their breakfast bar.

"Oh, something my mom used to say to me when I was trying to hide something and acting all nervous."

He reached out and took Sean's water bottle, but never took his eyes off Sean's face. He took a long pull on the water, still watching Sean intently. Then he simply stood there. Waiting.

Sean dropped his head and glanced up at Elijah through his lashes. "OK. OK." He sighed and took his water bottle back.

"You were late getting home," Elijah said softly, his tone suggesting that this might be the lead-in to an explanation.

"Yeah. Uh . . . I was," Sean stammered. "Stopped to see the girls for a second."

Elijah nodded. "How is everyone?"

"Fine! They're all . . . I mean . . . Chris is . . . uh . . . they're fine!" Sean knew he sounded unstrung and he was mad at himself for not handling this better.

"Come on, Sean! What's going on? You know damn well you can't hide it when something's bothering you. You're terrible at that kind of thing."

Sean sighed and sat his water bottle down on the bar. "C'mere," he said, opening his arms.

Elijah walked to him and was enveloped in Sean's embrace. He shook his head. "This is going to be bad," Elijah said against his shoulder. "If you have to be holding me to even TELL me, it's going to be very bad."

"No," Sean said, rocking him slightly. "It's not really a big deal. It's just something I feel bad about."

Elijah leaned back in Sean's embrace and raised his face and hands toward the ceiling. "WHAT?" he yelped. "Jesus, Sean! What IS it? Are you leaving me? Are you in love with Orli? Is Chris pregnant again? What?"

"I have to take her out on a date," Sean said, miserably.

Elijah stared at him wondering if he'd heard wrong. "A WHAT?" he asked.

"A date," Sean mumbled. "Well, not exactly a date. Just a . . . erm. . . a thing."

"A thing," Elijah repeated. "What kind of thing?"

"Jesus," Sean thought unhappily, "could I possibly be vaguer or more evasive?"

He looked up at Elijah and sighed. "I'm sorry, Lij. I dreaded having to tell you this so I'm turning it into more of a drama than it need to be." He pulled Elijah close to him again and looked into his eyes. "Last year, before we had really talked about moving in together, Chris was notified that she'd won some kind of award from the Business Woman's Association here in LA."

Elijah nodded. "Well, that's nice. But why should you be afraid to tell me that?"

"Well, that's not all." Sean murmured.

Elijah pulled away. "Tell."

Sean took Elijah's hands in his. "They're giving her the award at a formal dinner a week from Saturday. She's mentioned it to me a couple times since she was notified." He stroked Elijah's hands with his two thumbs. Elijah said nothing. "She mentioned it once after she knew we were together and asked me if I would please still escort her."

"Huh? Can't she ask someone else?"

"Lij, it would embarrass her if she wasn't escorted by her husband. This is a very big deal for her. She asked me, as a friend, to accompany her." Sean's eyes narrowed. "And" he said quietly "I agreed to do it."

"By her husband," Elijah repeated softly looking down at their joined hands. Then he looked up at Sean. "And without so much as discussing it with me." He pulled his hands out of Sean's and turned away.

"Lij, be fair. Do you discuss every decision you make with ME?"

"No, Sean, I don't. But I certainly WOULD discuss it with you if it involved me getting dressed up in a tux . . . " he turned back to Sean " . . . I assume since this is formal you'll be in your tux."

Sean nodded miserably.

"Right. In your tux," He sighed. "As I was saying, I certainly would discuss it with you if it involved me getting dressed in a tux and waltzing out the door to go on a date with some girl."

Hoping to lighten the mood, Sean grabbed his hand again. "I promise not to waltz."

Elijah glared at him and Sean winced. "OK. OK. I was just joking."

"NOT funny!" Elijah spat, jerking his hand away. "Not funny at all! And as far as being escorted by her husband goes, I didn't think you were her husband anymore." He leaned against the breakfast bar. "I thought you were . . . mine." His voice trailed away in obvious pain.

Sean winced and ran his hands through his hair. "Elijah, I don't blame you for being mad. I forgot all about it. In the excitement of us moving in here and everything else going on, I simply forgot. I screwed up. I made a mistake. It's my fault for not talking to you about it a long time ago."

Elijah stood silently, staring at Sean. All the hurt he was feeling was clearly etched on his face. Then he turned and walked into the living room with Sean hot on his trail. "Lij, please. Can we talk about this?"

"Why talk now?" Elijah said, dropping to the couch. "Seems like the time for talking is over. The time for picking out her corsage is here now."

"Elijah! Stop that! This is simply a one-night escort-service kind of thing."

"You gonna buy her a corsage?" Elijah asked him.

Sean squirmed and considered lying. Then squared his shoulders and shrugged. What the fuck. In for a dime . . . "Well, actually, I rather thought I might." Sean said, wincing again at what was sure to come. "It's a big night for her. I'd like to try to be nice about it."

"Jesus!" Elijah yelped. "What's next? Screw her in the back seat? Go in and meet the parents?" He crossed his arms in front of him and glared at the fireplace.

Sean was starting to feel a bit frustrated. He was sorry that the whole thing had slipped his mind. He would have liked to talk to Elijah about it before the fact rather than after, but enough was enough. In Sean's mind, Elijah had crossed the line into an area that Sean could only think of as 'childish' and he was not going to debate childish issues.

He gazed at Elijah, wondering what his next move should be. "He's the most mature 21 year old I know," Sean thought. "But he's still a 21 year old. And at times it shows." He decided on the truth.

"Look," he said softly. "This isn't just for Chris. This is for me too, and I'd appreciate a little support. I'm trying to establish a friendship with the mother of my two children. It's important to me that we get along. Important to my kids that their parents get along! I saw this as a way to help build that friendship. I am sorry I didn't discuss it with you first, and I do apologize for that. But I'm beginning to think you're being a bit unreasonable."

"Oh?" Elijah turned toward Sean, his eyes narrow. "I'm unreasonable, huh?" He stood up and grabbed his car keys off the table. "I get to watch you walk out the door in your tux looking drop-dead-fucking-gorgeous to go on a date with the woman you were married to for 11 years all without one word to me, and I'm supposed to be reasonable about it all, huh?"

"Where are you going?" Sean asked him.

"For a drive. I'll be back later." Elijah grabbed his jacket and stalked out the door.

Sean had heard the break in his voice as he was giving his irate speech and he felt terrible. He sighed and leaned back into the couch as he heard the engine of Elijah's BMW roar to life. Then he stood up and ran to the window just in time to watch him drive away at breakneck speed.

"Damn it!" Sean said under his breath. "God damn it, Elijah, slow the fuck down!" In spite of the fact that Sean knew the speedy exit was for his benefit and not how Elijah normally drove, he worried.

For the next few hours Sean tried to be reasonable himself. He made dinner, enough for two even though it seemed unlikely that Elijah would be back to eat. Then he sat at the table and ate even though his heart weighed a ton and the food tasted like cardboard in his mouth.

The house felt so lonely without Elijah in it. Without that bright presence his whole life suddenly felt drab and meaningless. He tried to shake his sadness off as he put his few dirty dishes in the dishwasher.

"Stop it, Astin!" he said out loud. "He'll be back and he'll get over this. It would take a lot more than this to really damage your relationship."

He tried to divert himself by sitting on the couch and going over a few scripts, but gave it up when he couldn't stop looking out the window every 10 seconds hoping to see Elijah's car pulling into the drive. Finally he threw the script on the coffee table in disgust.

"Jesus," he thought sadly. "Maybe I should just tell Chris I can't do it. It's just not worth feeling bad like this." Then he sighed, knowing, deep down, that this wasn’t the answer. Even thinking such a thing made him feel worse. She had asked as a friend and he had promised as one. To break that promise would damage something new and fragile. Something that Sean did not want damaged. Their newly budding friendship. He had already broken enough promises to Chris. He would not break any more if he could help it.

Elijah would simply have to understand.

Sean walked out onto the deck and followed the light from the setting sun down to the water's edge. He was still in dress shoes and he sat down on the sand to pull them off. Feeling miserable, he stared out into the ocean for a long time. It was beautiful, and suddenly he longed to feel the sea on his feet. He sat his shoes and socks on the sand and waded into the water.

It was cold, and Sean shivered. But the ocean's breakers were gentle tonight and after he had adjusted to the chill, Sean loved the feeling of the water on his legs and the sand under his feet. He ran down the beach a little ways and then ran further out into the breakers, sweeping his hands into the water and tossing it into the air to catch the light from the setting sun. He laughed in delight as the sun's dying rays caught the water and scooped up some more in his cupped hands, anxieties forgotten, thoroughly enjoying himself.

He felt like a kid playing in the ocean and it suddenly occurred to him to hope no one could see him. The thought made him self-conscious. He glanced toward the house and froze. Elijah was standing on their deck watching him. He saw that Sean had spotted him and moved slowly across the sand towards him.

Sean wandered out of the water and stood at the edge of the ocean's breaking waves, waiting.

Elijah had snagged a blanket from the deck and he spread it out on the sand then turned to Sean. "Have a seat." He gestured to the blanket and flopped down on it himself.

Sean retrieved his shoes and socks and sat down on the blanket beside Elijah. "You looked so sweet playing in the water that way." Elijah said softly, his eyes reflecting the last rays from the rapidly setting sun. "I loved watching you."

Sean grimaced and started putting his socks on. "I didn't know I had an audience."

"Just me." Elijah shrugged.

"Yeah? Well, you DO count, you know." He pulled his shoes on and turned to look at his young lover. "I'm glad you're home. I cooked dinner. Yours is still in the oven if you're hungry."

"Can we talk a minute first?" Elijah asked him.

"Sure," Sean said. He reached tentatively for Elijah's hand and felt a small flutter of relief when Elijah's fingers curled around his. For a long moment they sat silently on the blanket, fingers intertwined, staring out at the ocean and the sunset beyond.

Elijah turned to Sean . . . "I drove around for a bit." He said softly.

"Yeah?" Sean said, conversationally. "Kill anyone?"

Elijah grinned and Sean laughed and reached to hug him. "Nice exit though." Sean observed mildly. "You weren't trying to worry me or anything I don't suppose."

Elijah sighed. "I guess that's possible." He blinked and looked into Sean's eyes. "Did it work?"

Sean stood up and held out his hand. "Let's go back. Getting chilly out here."

Elijah grabbed his hand and was hauled to his feet. He gathered up the blanket and trailed after Sean. "Hey!" he yipped. "Did it work? No fair, Sean. You have to tell me. I need to know these things. You know. For future reference and all."

Sean ignored him and leaned over to remove his sand covered shoes, leaving them on the deck. As he stood up he eyed Elijah who was folding the blanket. He was eyed in return.

"Yeah. I was worried." Sean conceded. "Happy now?" Elijah grinned and walked into the house with Sean right behind him.

"Yeah. Actually, I am. Hate wasting a good scene like that one."

Sean pushed him toward the kitchen from behind. "Come on. I'll heat your dinner up for you. Leave you to do it and the kitchen will be trashed again."

Sean stuck his dinner into the microwave and sat a plate, silverware, and a napkin on the breakfast bar in front of Elijah. "Did you want to talk to me?" Sean asked, reaching for the salt and pepper.

"Yeah," Elijah said quietly. "I did." He glanced at Sean and reached to grab his arm as he sat the salt and pepper down in front of him. "Stop. Stop for a second."

Sean stopped and stood quietly beside Elijah.

"I said some things that were stupid and unnecessary," Elijah said, his eyes examining the empty dinner plate in front of him. "And I'm sorry."

Sean smiled and reached out to stroke his hair. "Baby," He said softly. "It's ok."

Elijah reached up and grabbed Sean's hand. Then he turned in his chair and looked directly into Sean's eyes. "You've agreed to do this thing and obviously you believe your reasons are good ones."

Sean smiled again. It was just as obvious that Elijah still didn't like the idea one bit. Sean leaned down and kissed him softly.

"I trust you," Elijah told him. "It's one night. It's not that big a deal. I'm sorry I was a brat."

Sean pulled Elijah into his arms and rocked him against his body. "Thanks, baby," He murmured. In the background, the microwave began to 'ding'. The smell of Elijah's dinner was beginning to float through the kitchen.

"My dinner," Elijah said against Sean's chest. Sean ignored him. "My dinner, Sean." Elijah said a bit louder. Sean finally glanced down at him.

"You'd rather eat than do THIS?" he asked, an astounded look on his face.

"Only when I'm completely famished." Elijah assured him with a mischievous grin, pointing at the microwave.

Sean scowled in fake annoyance. "My skills are sorely under-appreciated." he grumbled as he pulled Elijah's dinner from the microwave. He ladled a generous portion of the casserole he'd made earlier onto Elijah's plate.

"What's this?" Elijah asked, leaning over to smell the food. "God, it smells great!"

"Shrimp casserole."

Elijah took a cautious fork-full, and then turned to smile at Sean. "It's wonderful, Sean. Thank you."

Sean pulled a hot piece of garlic toast out of the toaster oven and laid it on a small plate beside him. Then he turned to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of white wine and poured Elijah a glass.

"There," he said, setting the wineglass next to his plate. "Now that's a good dinner!" He smiled as Elijah tore through the food. Clearly he hadn't been kidding. He was famished. He reached out to stroke Elijah's hair feeling a deep sense of happiness.

"It's getting late, baby." Sean said when he saw that Elijah's hungry attack on his dinner was starting to slow a bit. "You tired?"

Elijah turned to look at him, still chewing on his last bite of casserole. "Tired?" He shook his head. "Not really." Then he grinned, catching the brief look of disappointment that flashed across Sean's face. "But, I AM ready for bed." He nudged Sean's arm. "IF you get my meaning."

"I'm sure I have no idea what you could be talking about." Sean said with a vague look on his face. "And would you please hurry the fuck up, ring boy?"

Elijah grinned at the wink Sean threw him. He tossed his fork down on his plate, swallowed the last sip of his wine, sat his glass down, and held his arms up. "I'm all yours."

Sean grabbed him and hauled him off the stool, lifting his feet off the floor and spinning him around. "You want to be carried?" Sean asked him. "Or are you a big enough boy to walk it?"

"Like in Mordor?" Elijah grinned. "No. I can walk."

They tore up the stairs to their bedroom and started yanking clothes off, each of them laughing at how eager the other one was, teasing. Elijah walked into the bathroom and Sean wandered out to their upstairs deck and inhaled deeply. He loved the sounds of the sea that floated in to them from the open window. He loved the smell of the salt air, the occasional calls from gulls, or the mournful sound of foghorns when the weather turned bad.

"You know," he said to Elijah, not even sure if he could hear. "I love this house. I'm so glad we bought it."

"Me too," Elijah said from right beside him."

Sean jumped. "Hey! You're quiet! I thought you were in the bathroom."

"Well how long do you think it takes to take a leak?" Elijah grinned at him.

"Not long if you pee the same way you drive." Sean observed dryly.

Elijah laughed softly and leaned his face against Sean. Both his arms wrapped around Sean's arm, hugging it tight against him. Both hands gripped Sean's hand. Sean felt Elijah's naked body pressing against his arm and gasped. He turned and looked down at the dark head, face tight against his arm. His hand closed on Elijah's two hands and he leaned down to kiss the dark hair.

"Let's go to bed," He whispered. "Elijah. Baby, let's go to bed." Elijah leaned back and smiled at him. He clung to Sean's hand as they walked to their bed and waited until he had gotten in and scooted over to his side before climbing in beside him.

Every time this happened Elijah was nearly overwhelmed by the feelings that rose within him. This was their room and their bed. And after so many long years of waiting and despairing, this was his lover. This man. This good, decent man . . . was his. His to sleep with every single night. And this seemingly simple act of climbing into this bed beside him was, for Elijah, imbued with every possible kind of magic. He never took this moment for granted. He never quite believed it. And he never wanted it to go away. This one moment in every day was his miracle.

He looked into Sean's eyes and then lowered his head. "I was a jerk." He said quietly.

"It's over. We both said we're sorry. It's forgotten."

Elijah nodded and for a moment the room was quiet except for the sound of the waves.

"Elijah?" Sean whispered.

Elijah looked up.

Sean held out his arms and Elijah slid into them willingly. Sean's arms around his waist pulled him close and Elijah gasped at the feeling of their naked bodies touching. The whole length of him was pressed against Sean and for a moment he felt lightheaded from the sensations flooding his body.

He gasped again, barely able to breathe. "Sean. Sean. Sean," he moaned quietly, his arms around Sean's neck, clinging to him, unable to bear the thought of their bodies not being this close.

Sean eased him back for a moment, just far enough to be able to touch his body. His fingers skated softly over Elijah's skin, from his face, to his throat, down his arm, and back up to caress his chest. Elijah whimpered and gasped as Sean's touches turned his body to flame.

Sean's fingers moved down Elijah's chest to his belly. "God, Lijah," he breathed. "God, your skin is so soft." He ducked his head to bury his face in the satiny skin of Elijah's belly, kissing him, softly licking him. He inhaled deeply, wishing, for a mindless moment, that he could inhale Elijah into him. Into his body. His forever.

His tongue drew a silky trail over Elijah's body. He stopped momentarily to kiss and lick his nipples, feeling his own body scream with longing when Elijah cried out his name and arched his body up to meet Sean's lips. Eventually his hungry lips found their way back to Elijah's lips, and he pressed his mouth against them eagerly.

"Feel me, baby," Sean whispered, his own breathing labored and heavy. "Feel me against you." He pulled Elijah's body against his again. Crushing them together.

"God!" Elijah moaned again. "I do! It's like dying and going to heaven."

"Feel me," Sean murmured, pulling him even closer, tighter against his body. "Feel how perfect we are."

Sean was breathing in short, harsh gasps. He felt as though he was going to explode from the emotions surging inside him. He tipped Elijah's head up and looked into his eyes. "FEEL me!" he moaned between clenched teeth. His desire threatened to overwhelm him. He captured Elijah's mouth under his with hungry urgency and a searing riptide of longing consumed him, taking his breath completely.

Elijah's hands were clenched in Sean's hair, pulling his mouth even closer. Their kiss left Elijah feeling mindless, drunk with passion. He moaned against Sean's lips and in seconds they were writhing against one another. Elijah surged upward repeatedly trying desperately to create even more friction, even more of the sensations that were rocking his body.

Sean slid his mouth to Elijah's throat and buried his face there, kissing him again and again, his open mouth caressing Elijah's soft skin, licking it, moaning against it. "Baby," Sean whimpered.

Elijah's head arched backwards, craving more of Sean's mouth against him. "Ohhhhh! God! Seanie!" he moaned. "God! Please hurry. Hurry." Elijah felt as though he would die if he didn't get release soon from the anguished desire that was consuming his body.

"Feel how perfect we are," Sean moaned right next to Elijah's ear. "And never, ever worry about me and anyone else." He kissed Elijah's ear and ran his tongue softly around the outside, moaning when Elijah whimpered and lifted his hips to Sean's body. Their cocks were crushed together. Molten. Aching. Neither of them would last much longer against the waves of rapture being created by their writhing bodies.

The final moment of ecstasy swept them both into a frenzy of simultaneous explosions. They clung together, whispering each other's names while their bodies shuddered and clenched in tremors of ecstasy.

After a long, quiet time Sean turned to his side, turning Elijah with him so they were facing each other. He leaned forward and dropped feathery kisses against Elijah's lips. "Baby," he whispered. "Lijah. Lijah. I love you."

Elijah murmured something unintelligible, snuggling against Sean's shoulder. Then he sighed deeply. "I suspect we should take a shower. And . . . " he kissed Sean's shoulder. "I love you too. So much."

Now it was Sean's turn to mumble something unintelligible. Elijah laughed softly, and stroked Sean's hair. "No?" he asked, grinning. "No shower for Seanie?"

Sean wrapped his arms around Elijah and pulled him as close as he could. He felt sleepily mesmerized by Elijah's soft skin and buried his face against Elijah's body. "Shhhh," He murmured. "Hush. Hush."

"We'll be stuck together in the morning." Elijah laughed into Sean's ear.

Sean shook his head and kissed Elijah's throat. His kisses were slow and languorous and he responded with a very sleepy voice. "Mmmm. Seanie's asleep, my angel. I'll pry us apart tomorrow."

Elijah giggled. "I've got the most cozy, comfy lover in the world." He murmured in a voice that was just as sleepy, nestling against Sean's chest.

Sean half snickered and moved his hand to cover Elijah's mouth. "Shhh. Sleep, you. And don't get used to that comfy cozy feeling. It'll be gone once I lose another 20 pounds. Now shhhh."

Elijah shhhhed.

Sean woke up the next morning to the sound of his name being said softly and a kiss falling, just as softly, on his forehead. "Gotta go, Sean," Elijah murmured. "I'll see you later."

"Wait!" Sean complained, fighting his way out of entangling blankets, trying to grab Elijah as he laughed and backed away.

"No! No! You mustn't grab me!" Elijah shrieked in mock terror. "You might mess up my HAIR!" He leaned close to Sean and smirked, pointing with two index fingers at his hair, which was in its usual spiky state of disarray, then ducked away again.

"Oh big crime THERE!" Sean replied, rolling his eyes and lunging across the bed to make another grab for his agile young lover. "C'mere you!" he growled. "You can't leave without kissing me better than that!"

Elijah allowed himself to be snagged by his T-shirt and dragged back to bed. Sean tossed him down and straddled him, knees on either side of Elijah's body, holding both his hands over his head. He smiled a slow, happy smile. "Gotcha," He whispered.

"Hey!" Elijah whined. "You're like . . . NAKED and stuff!"

Sean looked down at himself, then back to Elijah. "I'll be damned," he muttered in a surprised voice. "So I AM!" He leaned closer to Elijah and whispered.. "Do you think it'll interfere with your ability to give me a kiss?"

Elijah appeared to consider this. "I think not," he admitted. "It's possible it might even enhance the experience."

Sean leaned down and tried to control his case of giggles as he kissed Elijah soundly. Then he rolled off him and stood up. 'Now OFF with ya, Ring boy!" He spouted as he headed for the bathroom. "Go make HUGE amounts of money so I can retire and leave this vainglorious actor's life behind."

Elijah swatted at Sean's butt as he walked by, heading toward the stairs. "Fat chance, wanker. You're just going to have to learn to handle being a big star."

"Hey," Sean called. Elijah turned and smiled at him as he stood in the doorway. "Have a good day, buddy."

"You too," Elijah replied, already bounding down the stairs. After a moment Sean heard him call, "Later, babe!" and then the downstairs door closed.

Sean turned the shower on, feeling content. It seemed as though Elijah had accepted his evening with Chris. Sean knew he wasn't happy about it. But he felt as though the worst was over.

That evening, both he and Elijah got home late. Sean had been meeting with accountants from Lava, Inc. all day and he was on a ragged edge. Elijah had sat all day around a big table with a bunch of other actors, plus a few suits and PR staff, going over 'Try Seventeen' promotional schedules, and his nerves weren't in any better condition than Sean's.

They were both collapsed on the couch, Sean’s arm draped around Elijah’s shoulders, silently staring at the equally silent fireplace when the phone rang. Elijah reached and grabbed it.

"Hullo," He said quietly. "Oh! Hello. Yeah.. just one sec."

He handed the phone to Sean. "Chris," He said quietly, and stood up to walk into the kitchen.

"Hi!" Sean said, watching Elijah walk away as he talked. 'Yeah. What’s up?"

Elijah walked into the kitchen and idly searched the fridge for anything consumable. He found a wedge of cheese and some leftover spaghetti from a week ago. In mere moments he was draped over the breakfast bar nibbling the cheese wondering how two relatively rich, relatively famous actors could live like such paupers when it came to food.

He looked up when Sean wandered in and sat up immediately when he saw the dazed look on Sean’s face.

“What’s up?” Elijah asked.

“That’s what *I* just said," Sean muttered. He shot a sideways glance at Elijah. “Well, nothing *really*.”

“Nothing ‘really’?” Elijah sighed and sat his cheese down. “Better tell me," He mumbled as he dusted his hands together to shake the cheese off his hands. “Better tell me now.”

Sean sat down beside him and took Elijah’s hands in his.

“Well, it seems as though it’s not merely a dinner.”

“No?” Elijah queried, his voice beginning to develop an edge. “Then what IS it? Dinner to be followed by consensual sex? Dinner and couples therapy? What?”

“Seems as though it’s actually a dinner-DANCE.” Sean mumbled.

“Dinner-DANCE," Elijah said quietly. “This goddamned date just keeps getting better and better.” Elijah gently pulled his hands away from Sean’s grasp.

Sean looked down at the floor and sighed, a ‘Why ME, God?’ look all over his handsome face.

“Is this something she told you 6 months ago too?” Elijah asked. “Something else you just forgot? Or is this NEW news?”

"This is new news, baby. I had no idea it was going to be this involved."

"So now," Elijah muttered. "Instead of a 2 or 3 hour dinner and award presentation, you'll be out dining and dancing 'till dawn."

"Not 'till dawn," Sean told him, trying to take his hand again. "Elijah, honestly! I won't be out any later than I have to be with this thing. I promise!"

Elijah shook his head and wandered back into the living room with Sean right behind him. He had hoped to get Elijah into a better mood, but when he tried to talk to him about the 'date', Elijah was unwilling to discuss it further.

"Sean, you're going. You've made that much clear. What's to discuss?"

"I don't want you to be upset! I don't want you to be unhappy or mad at me." Unwilling to let it go at this, Sean grabbed Elijah as he tried to walk up the stairs and pulled him into his arms. "You know, YOU count in my life, Elijah. I'm sorry this thing happened the way it did, but please remember that you're the one I love. You're the one I want to be with forever."

Elijah looked up at him. 'Not her," Sean whispered, staring back into the blue fire of Elijah's eyes. 'You.'

Sean was rewarded with a small smile. "I understand, Seanie," Elijah murmured. Then he lowered his head and pressed his forehead against Sean's chest. "I'm so beat. I'm going up to bed." He looked up at Sean. "You coming?"

"Yeah. Wait. Let me hit these lights and I'll go up with you."

Sean turned off the living room lights and walked back to Elijah who stood on the bottom step waiting for him. He draped his arm around Elijah's neck and kissed his forehead. "I'm sorry, baby. Truly sorry. Please don't be mad with me over this."

They walked up the stairs side by side, Sean nuzzling Elijah's hair and face the whole way. Elijah finally had to grab the railing. "Stop!" he laughed. "You're going to snuggle me over the side here."

Sean grinned and grabbed him around the waist, lifting him bodily up the last two steps. "There!" he growled, dropping him to the floor. "Got you here safe and sound!"

Elijah laughed and walked into the bedroom backwards, pulling on Sean's T-shirt. "You never give me credit for shit!" He teased. "You carry me up TWO steps and suddenly you're the hero who got me here safe and sound."

Sean tossed his head in fake self-admiration and glided his hand through his hair. "But, baby, after all. I AM the heroic type."

Elijah fell backwards onto the bed in laughter and Sean fell right on top of him. "GRRR!" he growled, burying his face in Elijah's neck. "Let me rescue you from your overwhelming desire to shag me senseless!" he pleaded.

Elijah, breathless with laughter by this time, wrapped both his arms around Sean's head and was happily delivered.

_____________________

The next few days brought no additional news regarding the 'date' and Sean was starting to feel more confident. It was Wednesday and the dinner/dance was being held this coming Saturday. Elijah had made plans to go night-clubbing with Dom that night. He didn't want to sit home waiting for Sean like an anxious mother . . . or anxious wife.

Sean had waited until Elijah was at a photo shoot before quietly taking his tux to be cleaned. He wasn't trying to smoke screen Elijah, but it was no secret to anyone that Elijah totally adored the sight of Sean in his tux. Seeing him wearing it as he walked out the door this Saturday was going to give Elijah a twinge no matter HOW well he had adjusted to the idea. Sean was trying not to raise flags unnecessarily.

He had picked up his cleaned and pressed tux, and he bounded up the stairs to hang it back in the closet. Elijah wasn't home yet. Sean was making him something very special for dinner and he wanted to get downstairs and start getting it ready.

He had ordered spare ribs from a special place in Austin Texas. Elijah had eaten their ribs when filming 'The Faculty' and fallen in love with them. The company had sent them by overnight mail, and they were sitting in the fridge just waiting for Sean to heat them up. Plus, Sean had come home early today and made homemade potato salad, which he knew Elijah loved. He'd never tried it before, but he'd watched his mom make it, and had phoned Elijah's mother to find out just how he liked it.

He was a nervous wreck about this dinner. He hoped it would make up to Elijah for the dinner he'd be eating with Chris in a few days and he wanted it to be very special. No scarfing food down at the breakfast bar. Not tonight. They were going to sit at the dining room table with a good red wine and candles glowing.

Sean's head was buried in the closet, shuffling things around looking for his dress shoes when Elijah walked in the door and, not seeing Sean on the main floor, started up the stairs.

Just as Sean pulled his head out, the phone rang. He grabbed it and sat down on the bed. "Hello? Oh, hi, Chris. What's up?" Elijah stopped halfway up the steps, hesitant to walk into their bedroom while Sean was on the phone, especially with Chris. He turned and started back down the stairs. Then he heard Sean's voice floating down the stairwell and stopped.

"Chris, if we take Fran and Parker with us it'll add another hour, hour and a half to our night just to pick them up and take them home."

Elijah sighed. Fran and Parker, Elijah knew, had been friends with Sean and Chris for many years. Had, in fact, been at their wedding. Now they were going on the 'date' too. Or at least Chris seemed to want them to go.

He padded softly down another step or two, not wanting to eavesdrop. But Sean made no attempt to lower his voice.

"Chris, I'm not adding Fran and Parker into the mix of Saturday night. It's just too much."

There was a long silence and Elijah knew Sean was listening to what Chris said.

When she had finished talking, Sean sighed. "Now look, Chris. Elijah has been great about this whole thing so far, in spite of the fact that I was an ass and didn't discuss it with him before agreeing to it. I'm not going to ask him to swallow anymore changes in plans. Especially this latest addition. It makes the whole evening sound like double dating on prom night. It'll hurt his feelings. And I don't want his feelings hurt."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line and for a moment Sean thought she had hung up. Then he heard her breathing.

"Oh Sean, for heaven's sake," she said casually. "It's just one night! Fran and Parker are YOUR friends too! Aren't you . . . allowed . . . to see your friends?"

Sean smiled quietly. "Of course I am. And I'd love to see Fran and Parker. Please assure them that the very next chance I get I intend to invite them to our house. I want them to meet my life partner and get to know him. He's worth knowing."

Elijah's mouth fell open.

Sean heard Chris gasp as if outraged. "Listen, Chris," Sean said, quickly. "Show a little compassion. How would YOU have felt in his shoes? All he's done so far is smile, say 'OK, Sean', and take two steps backwards. Would YOU have been as willing to share me with an attractive ex?"

Elijah grinned, knowing the answer to THAT question.

Sean heard Chris sigh. "I'm sorry, Sean," She said calmly. "I guess it's just hard for me to see him that way."

Sean's voice was just as calm. "I know it is, Chris. But the sooner you get comfortable with seeing him that way the better things will be for all of us, because that's the way it IS. I have no desire to hurt anyone, least of all you! But Elijah is the one I love. He's the one I want to be with forever. We share our life now and I will no longer apologize for him, or for he and I as a couple."

Elijah gasped in spite of himself. He felt his eyes burn with quick tears. He had never heard Sean talk about them like this to anyone -especially to Chris - and he was touched to the core of his soul.

Sean waited, holding his breath. He knew this had to be hard for Chris to hear. He had no illusions that she was still in love with him or wanted him back. But she was a strong woman with a tremendous sense of personal pride and dignity and he didn't want either of those qualities damaged. He wanted them to remain strong so they could be passed on to his two daughters totally undiminished.

After a long moment of silence Chris spoke: "Is it OK if I ask them to meet us there?"

"Of course!" Sean said happily. "I just want to be home at a decent hour. He's going to be worrying."

Chris laughed. "I can relate," she said in a joking tone of voice.

Sean laughed too, feeling a real thrill course through his body. This was the first time they had laughed together as friends. It was a moment he knew he'd never forget.

They chatted about the girls for a moment and then hung up. Sean leaned over the phone feeling a profound sense of relief and gratitude. "God!" He muttered. "Is it possible that this night might actually work?"

Elijah walked quietly up the stairs and into their bedroom. He didn't even slow down. He waked straight to the bed and, putting both hands on Sean's shoulders, shoved him back onto the bed and followed Sean down with his body until he was laying on top of him.

Sean peered up at him, his face lighting with a slow smile. "Well, hey!" he said in a half-whisper, his arms winding around Elijah's body. "When did YOU get here?"

"Just a minute ago," Elijah murmured. He did the totally impossible and tried to smooth Sean's curly brown hair. Then he leaned down and kissed his lips as softly as he could. Kissed him again and again and again. Soft, little, quick kisses. Kisses like a butterfly's wings, rained down on Sean's mouth. Sean called them 'baby kisses' and Elijah knew he loved him. His arms tightened around Elijah's back, pulling their bodies tight together.

"God, baby, baby," Sean breathed against Elijah's face. "What did I do to deserve THIS?"

"What did I do to deserve YOU?" Elijah asked.

"Eskimo kiss," Sean demanded with a grin.

Elijah laughed and rubbed his nose back and forth against Sean's. Then he leaned a little lower and brushed his lips back and forth against Sean's lips. "A different kind of Eskimo kiss," Elijah whispered.

Sean gasped and put his hands on either side of Elijah's face, pulling his mouth hard against Sean's. Their bodies were suddenly quaking, moving, seemingly of their own volition. One writhing downward, the other thrusting up. Aching. Wanting what only this one lover had ever given and could ever give. Completion.

"Clothes," Sean breathed, tugging on Elijah's jacket. "Baby. Please."

Elijah shook his head and ground his body against Sean's. He was whimpering with desire and unwilling to wait even as long as it would take to undress. Sean was convinced in a heartbeat, arching upward to better feel the hardness of Elijah's arousal against his own throbbing erection.

"Oh! Oh! Ohhh!" Elijah whimpered. "Oh, Sean. God! I want to come now. Now, Seanie! Now!" He rocked against Sean's body, feeling him lift his hips as both their bodies clenched and shuddered in ecstasy.

Elijah buried his face in Sean's neck, burrowing against him like a small animal. "Oh, Seanie," he murmured. "Please. Please hold me tight."

"Happy to," Sean whispered. His arms locked behind Elijah's back, pulling him even tighter against Sean's body. There was urgency in Elijah's embrace that kindled concern inside his lover. Sean knew him too well. "What's up, Ring boy?" He asked against Elijah's hair. "Something bothering you?"

Elijah shook his head, but his arms around Sean's neck tightened  
imperceptibly and his body continued to make small burrowing motions, as though he were seeking comfort.

"Uh.. I'm not quite buying it," Sean said quietly. "What's wrong, sweetie?" He stroked Elijah's hair gently. "Please tell me."

"Nothing's wrong," Elijah whispered next to Sean's ear. "Everything's right. I'm just so grateful that you're mine."

"Grateful?" Sean said, laughing. "I've seen the time fairly recently when you were ready to wring my neck."

"Seanie, I love you so much," Elijah said softly.

"God, baby. I love you too!" He pushed Elijah's head up gently, determined to get to the bottom of his current mood. "What IS it?!" he asked.

Elijah looked into his eyes for a long moment, marveling, as he always had, at their warmth and beauty. Then he sighed. "I was kinda bad," He confessed.

"Yeah?" Sean replied. "What did you do?"

"I listened," Elijah said softly.

"Listened!" Sean said, confused. "Listened to what?"

Elijah pointed at the phone and Sean's face lit up with understanding and love. "You heard all that, did you!" he laughed. Elijah nodded, feeling, and looking, somewhat embarrassed.

Sean laughed again and sat them both up on the bed. He took Elijah's hands in his and looked into his eyes. "I'm glad you did," he said softly. "You know I had no idea you were there, so you know what I said came straight from the heart. Believe it," he implored, lifting Elijah's hands to his lips. "Please."

Elijah bit his lip and nodded.

"And on top of all that," Sean said with a huge grin, standing up and pulling Elijah with him. "Guess what we're having for dinner!"

Elijah looked confused and Sean laughed out loud and pulled him toward the steps.

__________________________

Sean's dinner had been a triumph. Elijah was thoroughly surprised, and once again, completely overwhelmed by Sean's ability to show Elijah how very deeply he was loved. Even the potato salad was perfect. They sat next to each other at their dining room table for a long time after dinner was over, holding hands in the candle light, drinking wine, and talking about their future together and their dreams for the life they shared. Then they went to bed and made tender love to each other. Elijah called it 'that perfect day' and Sean was inclined to agree.

Now it was Saturday. Sean had been nervous ever since he'd gotten up that morning. He'd been hoping that Elijah and Dom would be gone way before he had to get ready, but it didn't turn out that way.

Dom had a bit of a cold and really didn't feel up to a rowdy night of clubbing and drinking. Instead he was spending the night at the Malibu house and he and Elijah planned their evening around a PlayStation2 marathon.

Sean was nervously trying to fix his tie and doing a lousy job when Elijah walked into their bedroom. "Hey," he murmured at Sean, coming up behind him. "Sit down and I'll fix this thing."

Sean sat on the chair in front of their dresser and Elijah reached around his shoulders and expertly fixed his tie. "There. Now you're gorgeous." He said, giving Sean's shoulders a pat.

Sean reached behind him and pulled Elijah close against his back. "I love you," He told him quietly, looking up at his reflection in the mirror as he stood behind Sean. "I love you, Elijah. More than I know how to tell you."

Elijah nodded, not trusting his voice, and tightened his arms around Sean, pressing him close for a long moment.

"Dom here yet?"

"No, but he should be here soon." Elijah turned to walk over to the bed. Sean's tux jacket was lying on it. He picked it up and walked over to Sean, who was just standing up.

Sean looked at Elijah as he held Sean's jacket out to help him into it. "Thank you.' He whispered, wishing he didn't suddenly have the most ridiculous urge to cry.

"I want to tell you something," Elijah said as he smoothed the lapels of Sean's tux.

Sean put his arms around Elijah's neck. "Tell."

"I understand about tonight," Elijah said quietly. "I've thought about it a lot since all this first came up. And you're right. It's only about you and I on the most superficial level. At the heart of it, it's about all of us. And mostly it's about the girls. I wasn't being a good step-dad to them when I objected to this . . . date. And I'm sorry."

Sean pulled him close. "God. Lijah," he said in a shaky voice.

"I'm sorry I wasn't more supportive from the get-go," Elijah murmured into his ear. "You're doing the right thing."

They eased away from each other and looked into each other's eyes. Both of them knew they couldn't hold this look for long. Too much emotion. Too much love. They'd end up in tears. . . or in bed. But they drank each other in for long moment like a glass of clear, cool water. Then the phone rang.

"Hello," Elijah said, trying to recover his normal voice. "Oh! Hi, Chris. Yeah, he's here. Looking gorgeous." There was a moment of silence and then Elijah said: "Don't worry about it, Chris. I'm glad he's doing this. Here he is." Then he handed the phone to Sean.

Their eyes locked together for another long moment as Sean reached for the phone, the intensity of their gaze almost more than they could bear. He grabbed Elijah with his other arm as he took the phone and pulled him tight against his body. "What's up?" he asked into the receiver, then he turned his face to kiss Elijah's cheek.

There was long silence. "WHAT?" Sean half-yelled. "When did this happen?" He sat down on the bed, pulling Elijah down with him.

Elijah stared at him, frightened. "Jesus, Sean! What's wrong? God, is it the girls?"

Sean shook his head reassuring and then held up one finger to him . . . wait.

"OK, Chris. Don't cry. Let me think." He turned the receiver away for a moment and looked at Elijah. "Her babysitter bailed on her. Some kind of family emergency."

He turned back to the phone. "What about your mom?" Silence. "Well, damn! My mom went back to Idaho last Monday. How about your sister?" Silence while Sean listened. "They ARE? Damn!"

Sean felt Elijah's hand on his shoulder, shaking him gently. "Sean," Elijah said quietly.

Sean turned to look at him, eyebrows raised enquiringly.

"Don't be silly. Just have Chris bring them over. I'll watch them."

Sean's mouth fell open. He looked at Elijah with his heart in his eyes. "One second, Chris." He turned the phone away from his mouth. "You sure about this? It seems a bit much to ask."

"They're my kids too," Elijah said softly.

Sean caught Elijah's hand in his and lifted it to his lips. "I love you," he murmured against Elijah's fingers. They he raised the phone again. "Chris, just pack them up and bring them here. Lijah said he'd watch them." Silence. "I know. But he wants to do it. And it makes sense. They have their own beds and their own things here." Silence. "OK. We'll see you in a half hour or so."

He hung up and turned to Elijah. "You know," he said in a voice as soft as velvet. "Every single day you give me some new reason to realize how smart I was to make the move I made. Thank you doesn't seem like nearly enough."

Elijah looked into his eyes again, seeing them slowly transforming into the sea green that Elijah loved. His body suddenly ached and he bit his lip hard to keep from falling under the spell that threatened to capture them both. "You keep looking at me like that and Chris is going to end up mad at both of us." He kissed Sean quickly and stood up. "Besides, I have to get the girl's rooms ready." He turned to walk out of the room. "Do we have enough milk? Cereal? Should I run to the store, Sean?"

"Better check, babe," Sean advised him, pulling on his dress shoes. Suddenly he stopped. "Elijah!"

An answering call from down the hall . . . 'What?" Then closer. "What, Sean? You OK?"

Elijah walked into the bedroom. Sean was sitting on the bed staring at him. "Did you HEAR us just then?" he asked Elijah in a voice filled with amazement.

"When?" Elijah replied, feeling confused. "What did we say? What's wrong, Sean?" He walked over to Sean and sat down beside him. "What IS it?"

Sean was still staring at him with an astonished look on his face. "Enough milk? Should I go to the store? Better check?" Sean said slowly, a smile filled with joy lighting his face and eyes. He leaned close to Elijah and whispered . . . "We sound like an old married couple."

Elijah grinned at him for a moment, then caught him close, kissing his mouth with all the fire and passion he could manage. "Not old," he murmured against Sean's lips, feeling him smile in return.

They both heard the downstairs door open. "Hey!" Dom's voice rang out. "You guys here?"

Elijah stood up. "Don't take your coat off," he yelled down the stairs to Dom. "We have to run to the store." He turned and blew a kiss at Sean before dashing down the stairs.

Sean watched him go and shook his head in wonder. "And he's only 21," he marveled. "My god, what will he be by the time he's 41?"

Sean tied his dress shoes and went downstairs to wait for everyone to either show up or get back from the store.

Elijah and Dom returned first and were restocking the kitchen with 'Captain Crunch', milk, and orange juice while Sean watched when the doorbell rang.

They all walked out into the living room in time to see Ally open the door and turn to speak to her mother. "Mommy, we don't have to ring here. We LIVE here!" She spied Elijah and immediately ran to him. 'Unka Lijah!" she yipped. "Yea!!"

Sean saw that Chris was hesitating on the doorstop, Lizzie in her arms, and he walked to her. "Come in, Chris," he said quietly, taking Lizzie. "Please." He stepped back, feeling more than a little nervous, and ushered Chris into the living room.

Ally had spotted Dom and the two of them were hugging madly while Elijah watched with a grin on his face. "She'll have lots of playmates tonight." Sean said to Chris with a smile.

"Hi, Chris," Dom said, waving with the arm not holding Ally. She grinned at Dom and waved. "Hi, Brit!" she called.

Elijah walked over to them and Sean felt a swift ache in his heart when he saw that Elijah's hands were shaking. "Hi Chris," he said softly.

"Hi, Elijah," she said in return. "Thanks so much for rescuing me tonight."

Elijah shrugged and smiled. "It's never a problem for them to be here, Chris, whether Sean's here or not." He glanced at Lizzie who was sleeping in Sean's arms. "Is she out for the night?" he asked Chris.

"Yeah," Chris replied. "I'm sure she won't wake up again." She turned to Sean. "Do you guys have enough bottles and formula?"

Sean turned to Elijah, a baffled look on his face, and Elijah laughed.

"Yes," He said to Chris. "We're good." He reached for Lizzie. "Kiss her up, you two, and I'll tuck her." Sean offered the baby's face to Chris, who kissed her gently. "Nite, honey." she whispered. Sean kissed Lizzie too, then handed her to Elijah.

'Come help me tuck Sissy into bed," Elijah said to Ally, holding out his hand for her to take.

"Mommy!" Ally yelped, taking Elijah's hand. "Come see my bedroom!"

Chris followed Ally and Elijah up the stairs with Sean following. Dom eyed the whole group with amazement and then went back into the kitchen, shaking his head.

Sean and Elijah had remodeled the girls' bedrooms with exquisite care and both of them were lovely. Ally even had artist's murals on her walls. Chris admired both rooms while Elijah tucked Lizzie into her crib and helped Ally find her stuffed kitty.

As they headed back downstairs Sean saw Chris glance into his and Elijah's bedroom and had to suppress a grin. He heard Ally behind him yelping 'Horsey ride!" and knew Elijah was, once again, being used as a pony.

They all walked back downstairs and Sean glanced at his watch. "We better go," he said to Chris. He grabbed Ally in a bear hug then handed her to her mother to get her goodnight kisses. Elijah had walked into the kitchen.

Sean gave Ally one last hug and stood up. He looked around for Elijah. "Lij!" he called. 'We're leaving."

Elijah walked out of the kitchen carrying a box. "Without this?" Elijah said with a wink. He handed it to Sean who looked back at him with a sheepish grin.

Sean turned and handed it to Chris. "This is from all of us." He said softly. "From me, Lij, and the girls."

Chris opened the box and gasped. "Oh, it's lovely!" she exclaimed, taking the corsage of baby roses out of the florist's box. "Thank you!" She said softly. "All of you," she said, looking pointedly at Elijah.

Elijah blushed and Sean laughed out loud as he and Chris walked to the door. Ally ran to Elijah to be picked up. "I'm hungry, Unka Elijah," she told him. Elijah hugged her. "OK, Princess," he replied. "I'll make you some cereal."

Sean was helping Chris on with her evening jacket and Elijah stared at them. As if feeling his gaze they both looked at him at the same time and he swallowed hard. 'You both look gorgeous," he told them quietly. "Have fun." Then he turned, with Ally, to head for the kitchen.

Sean gave Chris a quick glance and left her to go after Elijah. He pulled Ally out of his arms. "Go tell Uncle Dommie to make you some Captain Crunch, honey." She ran toward the kitchen yelling for Dom.

Then he put both arms around Elijah's shoulders and hugged him tight and hard. "Thank you, baby," he murmured, kissing his cheek.

Elijah was stunned that Sean would do this in front of Chris. He looked at Sean with his mouth open, unable to speak, feeling his eyes starting to burn. 'You better go," he whispered.

"I won't be late," Sean whispered back. 'Please. Please. Wait up for me."

Elijah smiled at him. "You bet I will. After all, I DO have to dust you for prints when you get back."

Sean laughed and walked back to Chris. "That should be fun," he called over his shoulder.

Elijah watched him and smiled. "Itchy. . . but fun."

Chris waved at him and Elijah waved back. "Congratulations, Chris," he told her quietly.

"Same to you," she remarked with a smile that held no hint of irony or sarcasm.

Sean opened the door . . . and they were gone. Elijah stood there for a moment, then turned and walked into the kitchen.

_________________________

Sean, as promised, was home early. The date had gone well. Chris got her award, dinner was great, people were nice, Fran and Parker had promised to visit he and Elijah soon, and after one dance Chris told him that it was OK to leave.

She had left her car at Sean and Elijah's house and hopped into it after dropping Sean at the door. "I'll come for them tomorrow," she said to Sean.

"Don't bother," Sean told her, leaning on the roof of her car. "Lij and I will run them home to you tomorrow evening."

Chris nodded. 'That's fine." She was silent for a moment and Sean turned to go.

"Sean?" Chris called.

He turned back with a questioning look on his face.

"He really IS nice," she said slowly.

"Yes," Sean replied quietly. "He is."

"Nite, Sean. And thanks." She backed the car out of their driveway.

Sean unlocked the door and walked onto the landing. The house was quiet and Sean was a bit surprised. He thought that Dom and Lij might still be up. He heard a noise from the couch and walked over to investigate.

Dom was lying on it, sound asleep, surrounded by every kind of cold medication on the planet. Sean grinned, seeing Elijah's work here.

He walked up stairs and into their room. Elijah, dressed in one of Sean's sweat outfits, was curled on their bed. Ally, in her 'Barbie' sweat outfit, lolled beside him. Both of them were asleep. Elijah looked like a child himself in Sean's oversized sweats and their two sleeping figures created an image that filled Sean's eyes and curved his lips in a smile. The TV was cranking out Nickelodeon and a copy of 'Where the Wild Things Are' was laying on the bed.

Sean turned the TV off and scooped Ally up gently. He carried her and her book to her room and tucked her in without ever waking her. Then he returned to his own bedroom.

He stripped off his clothes quietly and crawled into bed beside Elijah. He stared for a long moment at the face he loved. The chiseled, delicate features mesmerized him and he softly ran his fingertip over Elijah's lower lip. He listened to Elijah breathing, amazed at the unspeakable joy that filled him. Sean's face was close enough that Elijah's gentle breath touched him.

Unable to bear anymore, Sean leaned forward and pressed his lips against Elijah's, feeling utterly and completely loved, feeling love utterly and completely. Elijah stirred in his arms and murmured his name, slowly coming to consciousness.

"Sean?" he whispered. "You home?"

"Nah," Sean whispered back. "You're dreaming me."

"Wanker," Elijah murmured against his face, wrapping his arms around Sean's neck.

Sean laughed softly.

"So, how'd the date go?"

"It was OK," Sean told him quietly. "She appreciated it."

Elijah nodded and nestled closer to the body he loved. "Hold me," he whispered into Sean's ear. "Please, Seanie. Hold me tight."

Sean tightened his arms around Elijah's back and wrapped one of his legs tight around Elijah's, pulling their bodies even closer together, feeling them touching down their whole length. Sean moaned softly. "Jesus, even wearing my sweats, you feel so good."

Elijah didn't answer. He nestled his head against Sean's shoulder and closed his eyes again. "Sleep." He murmured into his lover's ear. "Sleep, my beloved."

Sean nodded, and holding the one he loved more than his own life, he drifted off. His last coherent thought was that tomorrow he was going to figure out a way to take Elijah somewhere wearing his tux. He was going to figure out a way that they could go out on . . . a date.


	2. Sometime in the future..

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sean promised to take him on a date... and now he's going to keep that promise.

Elijah stood in front of the mirror pondering the reflection before him with quiet dismay. He was dressed his best tux and should have, in his opinion, conveyed the very essence of the suave, debonair movie star. But, again in his opinion, nothing could have been further from the truth. "I look like a confused penguin," he muttered.

Resigned to his fate, he shook his head and turned aside, reaching into his jacket pocket to grab his cigarettes. He sat on the bed as he thumbed his lighter, then fell back, blowing smoke at the ceiling. As his eyes followed the stream of vapor, he frowned. The bed he was lying on was Ally’s, and he was staring at her frilly, pink canopy. Realizing this, he sat up abruptly.

“Damn,” he muttered. “She’ll pitch a fit if her room smells like smoke.” He walked into the bathroom that Ally shared with her sisters when they visited the Malibu house and tossed his cigarette into the toilet bowl, then wandered back to the bed and sat down.

This evening had been all Sean's idea. It had been a couple of months since Sean had gone on his ‘date’ with Christine, and he was still feeling regretful over how he’d handled the situation. Convinced that he had hurt Elijah’s feelings, he’d sworn that they, too, would go on a ‘date’, dressed in full formal regalia.

Truth was, Elijah's feelings weren't hurt and, further, he couldn’t have cared less about a formal outing. He had gently mentioned this to Sean on more than one occasion, to no avail. There was no denying that Sean looked fantastic in a tux. But Elijah firmly believed that HE presented a far more appealing picture in jeans and a t-shirt. Not that any of that mattered. Once Sean had gotten it into his head that he had wronged Elijah, he became a force of nature. He was determined to make amends, and that was that.

Thinking back on it, Elijah could see that Sean’s ‘date’ with Chris had been the catalyst for some very positive changes in their lives. There was less tension now between her and Sean, and the interaction between Elijah and Christine was also vastly improved. They had even shared a laugh or two at Sean’s expense, something that never could have happened before. This new camaraderie was good for Sean’s daughters. They were happier now, and much more accepting of their parents’ separation. And though Sean’s decision to accompany Chris had initially left Elijah feeling very upset, he now understood that this important benefit to the girls was the real reason Sean had been so determined to agree to Chris’s request in the first place.

Elijah impulsively reached for his cigarettes, then abruptly checked himself. “Damn!” he muttered impatiently. “What’s taking him so long?”

Sean had sent him to Ally’s room to dress, insisting that they get ready in separate rooms to make it more like a real ‘date’. It felt as though he’d been waiting for hours, and he couldn’t imagine what Sean was doing.

’He’ll never get his tie on right without me,’ Elijah thought. ’I don’t know why he bothers.’ He stood and looked in the mirror again, and frowned as he saw himself framed in the pink frills of Ally’s bedroom. “Twenty miles of strawberry fluff,” he grumbled. “I feel like a fucking Barbie doll.”

“Hey,” Sean’s voice called cheerfully from down the hall. “You ready?”

“Been ready!” Elijah barked in reply. “How ‘bout you?”

Sean entered, his tie looped casually around his neck. “Almost…” he said, grinning.

“Riiight,” Elijah said, pointing to the chair in front of Ally’s dresser. “Sit down, duffus. I knew you’d never get it done without me.”

As he fussed with Sean’s tie from behind, Sean tilted his head back, trying to see him. “Stop that,” Elijah muttered. “I can’t do this if you insist on… there!" He said, admiring his handiwork. "That’s it. How’s that?”

Sean peered into the mirror. “Perfection!” he exclaimed, and smiled at Elijah in the mirror. “Thank you.”

“Are we ready?” Elijah asked.

“We are,” Sean told him. He took Elijah’s elbow and guided him out the door and down the hall. It was growing dark as they came down the stairs. The sun was beginning to set and as its fiery rays glinted off the gold of their teakwood walls Elijah felt a deep stab of sadness. This was his favorite time of the day and he ached inside with longing. How he wished that the two of them could just spend a quiet evening here at home, watching the sun go down from their deck, drinking a glass of wine and talking softly until it was time for bed.

Instead he would be spending the evening in a high-class Beverly Hills restaurant where Sean would pay ten times more money than the meal was worth trying to make up for an injury that didn’t even exist. And on top of it all, Elijah would be doing it dressed in an outfit that even his mother said made him look like a gangly, awkward adolescent.

He sighed in resignation, and had begun to move toward the door when he felt Sean's hand grip his arm.

"Not that way."

Surprised, Elijah glanced back at him. "Wha - ?" He began… not understanding.

"This way," Sean said firmly, turning him to face the wide glass doors that led to their deck and the ocean beyond.

Elijah stared. Multicolored Chinese lanterns flanked the pathway that led from their deck to a small pavilion on the beach that was set like a jewel in the midst of gently glowing lights. He wheeled to face Sean again, mouth open in mute surprise. "Sean?"

Sean blushed. "Well, I knew you didn't really want to go out to some fancy place. So…," he waved his hand toward the beach, "I brought the fancy place to you!" He guided Elijah through the glass doors. "Figured you'd like this better," he murmured. “That’s why I had you stay in Ally’s room. You can’t see the beach from her window and they had to get set up. So now…” he said, motioning to the light-framed path, “… your dinner awaits.”

Elijah gripped Sean's arm, stopping him just where the lights began. "Sean… god…,” he half-whispered, “… thank you. This is awesome."

Sean shrugged, looking down at the sand beneath his feet. "You don't have to thank me. It's me who should be thanking YOU. You were wonderful about my…. ermmm… outing with Chris. I owe you."

Elijah laughed as he linked his arm with Sean’s. “You’re wacko!” he said, leaning against Sean forcefully enough to nudge him off balance. “I was a total bastard about your outing with Chris! I drove off in a huff and left you here to eat dinner all alone!”

Sean smiled and shrugged as they walked toward the pavilion. “You came back,” he murmured. “And once you’d thought it over, you were wonderful about…. well, about the date.

Elijah was silent as they walked between the rows of glowing lanterns. He doubted that Sean realized how much gestures like this meant. He tended to place more value on gifts of the intellect than he did on the more spontaneous giving that flowed from his heart. He saw such moments as silly and felt they made him look like a love struck sap. But to Elijah such moments were the glue that bound his heart to Sean’s forever.

They entered the pavilion hand in hand. Two waiters fussed over a beautifully decorated table and behind them several steam tables hissed softly, emitting wondrous odors. A dessert table was piled high with delectable looking treats of every variety. Elijah pulled Sean close and kissed his cheek. “Thank you,” he whispered.

As he took his seat, a soft, fresh breeze flowed in from the nearby ocean. His heart was filled with happiness so deep that it seemed to touch his very soul. Elijah knew that they would have many wonderful moments in the years that lay ahead. But he also knew that he would never forget this, their very first ‘date’.


End file.
